gatwiri's Blog

Of African women and Western Feminism
When: Aug 24th, 2005 3:15:24 am - Subscribe
I'm feeling: amused, tickled
Talk, Opinion, Music, Life, Stuff: Opinion, Life

So I was reading an article in the sports section of the daily, where one of the correspondents at the Athletics meet in Helsinki reveals very interesting things about Finland. He/ She writes,

"And talking of Finnish men, they also happen to be a most humble people who are dutiful to their demanding women, who will put to shame some hot tempered Kenyan women. Here men change diapers, take children to school, cook, and even allow wives to go out at night for a good time with their friends. Some are also learning fast that an African woman is the last remaining precious gift on earth. Those who have hooked up with them can testify."

I was sooo tickled by this piece! Finnish men have seen the full wrath of feminism, and they are now house broken and totally domesticated. A man with an apron and a cooking spoon is soooo hot. Why don't Kenyan men get this fundamental fact??? However, before I get me a Finnish man, I need to remind myself that men are really all the same.

Patriarchic(al) societies all over the world dictate that women should take care of men. Since women are so warm and nurturing, they rose to the occasion and took care of the men; cooked, made babies, raise them, and kept the house clean, e.t.c. e.t.c. (I am told that a husband is in reality your first child, especially when he is ill.)

I think the problem came in when men took advantage of this gift and privilege of loving care, and made it their right. They then went on to build their esteem by beating down women. How many men refer to themselves as men because they beat their wives or have a bevy of Ms. Stresses?

Of course you cannot oppress a group of people forever. They get fed up; they come together, create a revolution, and pull you down from the dizzying heights of power. And voila, feminism was born. Men were brought back down to earth from their lofty perches, and women took over the reins of "power". Ask the Finnish men. And like the French royalty during the revolution, they totally ignored the signs. Talk about reversed roles!! LOL

Back to Africa. Women here still take great care of their men, which is all good. That is why the article states that Finnish men married to African women are eternally grateful to God. (And they should be!!). A Finnish dude once told me that he wants an East African woman, apparently because we are just awesome. (But do I say!!) Now I know why.

This is not to mean that feminism is not to be found in Africa. Like English, feminism also came to Africa on a boat. We have the upwardly mobile and very vocal Kenyan (African) woman, who knows what she wants and will not let anyone, especially a man, stop her from getting it. She is still very single (don't need no man), in the 35 and below age bracket. She reads the Kenyan edition of the Cosmo and can drink any guy under the table.

Feminism in my opinion has two strains: type A (appreciative) - where women fight for equality of the sexes by appreciating the importance of women, and type B (bitchy) - where women build their esteem by beating down men. Type B is more common nowadays. It is a case of reversed roles, where it is now the women who harass men to prove their feminineness.

Our poor men have been beaten down by this feminism strain, till they are practically impotent. Have you noticed how men are scared of giving their opinion of gender issues lest they are branded chauvinistic? They will only talk when their opinions agree with women's opinions. And on the rare occasion that they do, women will be quick to jump down their throats. I see this all the time.

This feminism will ride out the wave and we will see a return to male dominance because men will get tired and stage a revolution. Then we will be back to where we started, in the circle of life. LAWD help us!!

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Comments:

she - August 24th, 2005 I agree with you 100%. Well, except the last part. Men cannot win this. They're much weaker them women. Both physicly and mentally.

anonymous - August 26th, 2005 I dont know about physically but I think men are weaker than women in all other ways. I think women will eventually pay for their type b feminism.

anonymous - August 28th, 2005 ok gal gal gal. wow we've all grown up fast hah. Anyway reading what you have written above bring a lot of things in mind. Fist is the fact that after being in the US for almost 5 yrs, it's almost a common thing to see. Due to the fact that most family men have different shifts to work then when the wife is working the man get to work. Honestly like if i look at most families i know here, the men cook, do laundry, shopping, change daipers etc. not out of being forced to do it but because of the circumstances.

anonymous - September 10th, 2005 I agree with you, i think an attractive man is one who treats you like a partner, not an assistant. lkotonya@yahoo.com

gatwiri - September 12th, 2005 Nowadays there are no men, they are just male, i.e in the physical aspect. Poor guys, they are so de-msaculinated!! no wonder they are running round trying to remasculinate themselves by abusing women.

anonymous - November 18th, 2005 It is not true that feminism came to Africa from whites. There were many women heads of state before Europeans ever set foot on the continent. Women of ruling class families always had leadership roles. Also women control the retail economy in most of Africa. The stores and the shops almost all of them are owned & run by women. This has been the case in Africa for 1000's of years. Further societies were matrilinear in that you traced your lineage through your mother and not your father. Women could leave men they married, return to their families and marry again. I don't think you know much about the African culture, much of what you say about Africa is misinformation.

gatwiri - January 24th, 2006 Most communities prolly except the Ashanti, trace their lineage from the male side. this happens all over the world, even the western world.You have to admit the feminism we practice is the western idea of feminism. There is a big difference in the empowerment you talk about and what we have taken in from the western world. Also, what you talk about was never labelled as feminism, by Africans, I mean. So, this my friend is not misinformation. (You shoulda left you name or email.)

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